Truck



- Patented Dec. 6, I898. G. J. HAFNER.

TRUCK. (Application file; Dec. 28, 1897.)

No. 6l5,448.

(No Modal.)

InvenLor.

Attorneys UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE J.'1IAENER, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

TRUCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 615,448, dated December 6, 1898.

Application filed December 23, 1897 Serial No. 663,203. (No node.)

- of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trucks; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, formingapart of this specification, and to the reference-numerals marked thereon.

My present invention has for its object to provide a truck that may be used for handling bulky and heavy objects, more particularly large lithographic stones, whereby a single operator may with great ease insert or remove them from a lithographic press or manipulate them in any desired manner; and to this end the invention consists in certain improvementsin construction and combinations of parts, all as will be hereinafter fully described, and the novel features pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the truck; Fig. 2, a side elevation of the same; Fig. 3, a perspective view of a detail, and Fig. 4 a detail view.

Similar reference-numerals indicate similar parts.

The main frame consists of the corner-posts 1, connected at or near the top by cross-pieces 2 and at the bottom by suitable braces 3, said frame being mounted upon a base 1, having casters or wheels 5 thereon. Upon the inside of the main frame is a supplemental frame having the corner-posts 6 guided in the inside corners of the main frame and provided upon their inner faces with rack-bars 7, adapted to cooperate with pinions 8,arranged upon shafts 9 9', extending across the main frame and j ournaled in the cross-bars 2, whereby the inner frame may be raised to the desired height-as, for example, to the level of a lithographicpress bed. 10 indicates a shaft provided upon one end with an operating-handle 11 and a ratchet-wheel 12, cooperating with a pawl '13,

and upon the opposite extremity is placed a pinion operating, when the handle is turned, to revolve the intermeshing gears 14 14', mounted upon the shafts 9 9.

19 indicates the truck-body,.similar to an ordinary hand-truck, (without the wheels,)

embodying the side rails 20, connected by cross-braces and terminating in handles 21 upon one end and provided with a foot or upturned projection 22, extending across the other end. This body 19 is supported upon and pivotally connected to the inner frame by means of the links 23, pivoted at one end to cars or lugs 24 on the truck-body and by.

similar lugs to the corner-posts of the supplemental frame. Stops in the form of a bracket 23 extending from the sides of the main frame, limit the outward movement of the links, allowing the operator to tip the truckbody down to receive the load. Small rollers 25, positioned on the forward corners of the inner frame, are adapted .to' receive the weight when the body is tipped back upon the links and to allow it to be easily returned to the normal position on the supplemental frame.

26 indicatesa catch pivoted upon the frame and adapted to automatically cooperate with a pin 27 on the cross-brace 28 of the truckbody, serving to hold the latter in position until released by a side pressure of the foot exerted upon the projected lower end of said latch.

To assist in unloading an object from the truck, I have provided upon one side of the latter a pair of rollers 29, attached to a shaft 30, supported in suitable bearings 31, their upper surfaces being slightly above that of the truck, and to prevent the accidental turning of the rolls and consequent displacement of the load during transportation or otherwise I provide a spring-operated catch 32, arranged on the truck-frame and cooperating with a notched wheel 33 on the shaft 30. The face of the catch is longer than the width of the notches in the wheel, and it may be withdrawn from a notch and given a quarter turn, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4, thus allowing the rollers to revolve freely when desired.

The operation will now be understood. The operator rolls the truck up to the stone or article he wishes to move, releases the latch 26, and turns the truck-body down until the foot 22 rests upon the floor, as shown in full lines in Fig, 2, and is placed under the edge of the stone, which latter is then tipped over upon the body. The body is now turned back,

with the links as a fulcrum, over the frame until it rests upon the rollers 25 and is then drawn backward, bringing the body into a horizontal position upon the frame, where it is locked by the latch 26. The truck is now moved to the press or other place where it is desired to deposit the stone, and the operator, by means of the handle 11, adjusts the stone to the desired height, as shown in dotted lines, Fig. 2, then unlocks the side rollers 29 and rolls the stone ofi onto the press. These operations may be reversed or the truck used for other purposes than those described, if desired. Many modifications could be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of my invention, and I do not, therefore, desire to be confined to precisely the construction shown.

. I claim as my invention I 1. The combination with the main frame, the supplemental frame vertically adjustable thereon, of the truck-body and links connecting it with the supplemental frame.

2. The combination with the main frame having the wheels thereon, the supplemental frame having the corner-posts guided on the main frame, and means for raising said supplemental frame, of the truck-body having the foot at the end, the links pivoted to the posts of the supplemental frame and to the truck-bod y, and stops on the main frame with which the links cooperate to limit their movement.

3. The combination with the main frame, and a supplemental frame vertically adjustable thereon, of the truck-body having the foot at the end, the links connecting the body and supplemental frame and pivoted to both, and stops for limiting the movement of the links in one direction.

4. The combination with the base having the Wheels, the vertically extending main frame thereon,the supplemental frame guided to move vertically on the main frame, and

means for raising and loweringit, of the truckbody having the foot at one end and the handles at the other and pivotally connected to one side of the supplemental frame and adapted to be turned on its pivots over upon the top of the latter.

5. The combination with the main frame, the supplemental frame vertically adjustable thereon, of the truck body pivoted to the supplemental frame at one end, and the latch connection between the adjustable frame and truck-body at the opposite end of the latter.

6. The combination with the base, the main frame thereon, the supplemental frame having the depending posts guided on the main frame, and means for raising and lowering the supplemental frame, of the truck-body having the foot and pivotally connected to the posts of the supplemental frame and adapted to be turned over upon the top of the latter.

7. The combination with a frame, a truckbody pivoted on the frame having a roller projecting above the surface thereof and a catch for locking the roller.

8. The combination with a tru ck-bod y having a supporting roller thereon projecting above the surface thereof, and lockin g devices for securing said roller when desired.

9. The combination with a truck-body having a supporting-roller at one edge and extending above the upper surface thereof, and locking devices for securing said roller when desired.

10. The combination with the truck-body, of the supporting-roller thereon, the notched wheel connected to the roller, and the springoperated rotatable catch having the broad end for engaging the notches or bridging them when turned axially.

11. The combination with the main frame, the supplemental frame, and means for adj usting it vertically, of the truck-body, the links connecting it with the supplemental frame, the catch on the supplemental frame for engaging and holding the body, and the stop on the main frame with which the links engage when the body is turned down.

GEORGE J. HAFNER.

lVitnesses:

F. F. CHURCH, G. WILLARD RICH. 

